Extensions and Special Consideration

If you are experiencing circumstances impacting your ability to prepare for, undertake or complete subject assessment requirements, you may be eligible for Special Consideration. Please read below for advice on the new Extensions and Special Consideration process, in effect from Wednesday 5 August 2026.

Short Extensions

The University acknowledges that it can be difficult for students to coordinate assessment demands across subjects, especially where impacted by personal circumstances.

The following short extensions have been introduced to enable more flexibility in meeting assessment deadlines:

1. Document-free extensions of up to 3 calendar days from the original assignment due date. The application must be for an assessment type that allows extensions, and submitted prior to the original assessment due date. Note that document-free extensions are not available for group assessments.

2. Document-lite extensions of up to 7 calendar days from the original assignment due date (inclusive of any document-free days already granted). The application requires that you fill out a Statement of Impact, and must be submitted prior to the original assessment due date.

Other Special Consideration adjustments

For all other adjustments, you will need to provide supporting documentation per the guidelines provided on the central Special Consideration page.

Other adjustments will be determined according to the standard outcomes set by Subject Coordinators, depending on the nature and format of each assessment task. They may include:

• Extensions up to 30 calendar days
• Extensions where the assessment due date has passed*
• Attendance exemptions
• Other adjustments as appropriate to the task (e.g. alternative arrangements, further assessment, placement make-up days or late subject withdrawal)

*Applications should be submitted within 4 days of the assignment due date. Where this is not possible, late or retrospective applications will be accepted, but will require a justification for lateness.

Eligibility for special consideration is assessed on a case-by-case basis by the University's Special Consideration team, and is guided by the Assessment and Results Policy. Specific outcomes are not guaranteed.

The Faculty of Education guidelines permit eligible students a maximum possible extension of 30 calendar days from the original assessment due date. Note that this may be less for some subjects depending on their structure and the nature of the assessment. This maximum extension time includes any days granted through the short extension provision (ie document-free/-lite).

Students with Academic Adjustment Plans (AAPs)

If you are registered for ongoing support and have an Academic Adjustment Plan (AAP) in place, you may have provision in your plan for an extension of up to 10 business days (where appropriate to the task).

If this is the case, we recommend you avoid lodging applications for short extensions, and instead apply for the full 10 business days provided for in your AAP. This will ensure you only need to apply for a short extension once.

If you required more than 10 business days or an alternative adjustment, you will need to provide supporting documentation per the process described above.

How to apply for an Extension or Special Consideration

More information on how to apply